According to Apple's plan, which was announced today, none of its three data centers will use coal for power. Its three data centers include Maiden, North Carolina; Newark, California, and the one currently being built in Prineville, Oregon.

Instead, Apple will generate 60 percent of Maiden, North Carolina's facility itself through the use of fuel cells and a 100-acre solar farm nearby. In addition, Apple is wrapping up a purchase of a 150-acre site two miles away from the Maiden facility. The other 40 percent of power will come from renewable energy providers in the area. For instance, it will use solar panels from SunPower Corp., which is a San Jose, California-based company.

According to the tech giant, it will be able to generate 124 million kilowatt-hours of power per year when all of its current projects are finished.

"We are leading the industry," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple chief financial officer. "All three of our data centers will be coal free, which is an industry first for anybody of our size."

Apple plans to run all of its data centers on 100 percent renewable energy by February 2013.

Apple's latest green move is likely a response to Greenpeace's protests and poor reports of Apple's business practices when it comes to coal use.

Last month, Apple received poor renewable energy scores by independent environmental organization Greenpeace. According to Greenpeace, Apple had the highest percentage for coal dependency out of all the other tech giants at 55.1 percent. It also had a fairly low Clean Energy Index percentage of 15.3 percent compared to others on the list. As far as scores go, Apple received a "D" for energy transparency, an "F" for infrastructure siting, a "D" for energy efficiency and GHG mitigation, and a "D" for renewables and advocacy.

More recently, Greenpeace has been holding protests against Apple's coal use in Cupertino, California as well as other locations.

Greenpeace has showed appreciation for Apple's announcement today.

"Apple's announcement today is a great sign that Apple is taking seriously the hundreds of thousands of its customers who have asked for an iCloud powered by clean energy, not dirty coal," said Gary Cook, an analyst at Greenpeace International.